Can't Hold Us
by Hannabell Fester
Summary: Choji is getting married, and Ino has a very big decision to make... [Choji/Ino pairing. Drama/fluff. Rated T...just in case.]
1. The Invitation

****DISCLAIMER** I own nothing! I promise! I swear! Here, have a cookie! :3**

**The Invitation**

The wedding invitation lay unopened on Ino's kitchen table. It arrived that morning while she was at the flower shop. She had come home and put her groceries on the counter and hung up her shawl by the front door. Mindlessly, she stooped down to pick up the pile of mail that had been pushed through her letterbox. Ino didn't see it at first, but her heart stopped beating when she finally did lay eyes on it. Her hands shook and she dropped the rest of the mail to the floor. She felt like she was going to vomit. Her worst nightmare was coming true.

Ino composed herself enough to walk back into the kitchen, place the invitation on the table, and dig through her purse to find her cell phone. She wasted no time hitting "speed dial 1"…Sakura, her best friend since childhood. She reached up into the cabinet next to the refrigerator and retrieved her very large but very inexpensive bottle of emergency wine. She uncorked it as the phone began to ring at Sakura's.

Ino and Sakura, each with a wineglass in hand, sat at the kitchen table and stared down the invitation. The ivory paper with the linen-finish, the expert calligraphy…it was over-done in every way possible. Clearly this woman was trying to flaunt every penny she was marrying into.

"How long has Choji known her?" Sakura ventured. Ino sighed deeply.

"I'm not sure, but not nearly long enough." Ino slugged down the rest of her wine and reached for a refill. Now it was Sakura's turn to sigh heavily.

"So what are you going to do Ino?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to R.S.V.P _'attending'_ or _'not attending'_?" The blonde haired woman lowered the wineglass from her lips and set it gently on the table. She tucked her other hand under her chin and slumped down on her elbow. Her crystal blue eyes never stopped staring at the garish envelope.

"I honestly don't know…"

**_::Flashback::_**

_Ino stood over Asuma's grave with 2 bouquets of flowers. The sun had just slipped behind the horizon, casting vibrant oranges and pinks into the darkening sky. It was the perfect setting for what she had in mind. A warm breeze swept through the cemetery, carrying with it the thick scent of gardenias. They would be in the presence of the man who brought them together, and them brought them closer. If it wasn't for Asuma sensei, she wouldn't have been able to get to know Choji the way she had…and then she never could have fallen in love with him. That's what she had planned for tonight. She was going to tell Choji that she loved him._

_Choji showed up right when Ino had asked him to be there. They said a prayer for Asuma together, and Ino lay down the one bouquet she had made for him. She took a deep breath, stood up and handed the second one to Choji. He had raised his eyebrow as he slowly came to his feet._

_"What's that for?" he asked pointedly._

_"It-it's for you, Choji." She could feel her voice begin to crack in her throat. Her teammate was still confused._

_"I made this for you. I know how much you like wildflowers, so I got you some. But you know how flowers mean certain things, so that's why there's a rose…"_

_In the center of the bouquet was a single, long steam aburnish rose. Choji blinked in surprise as he took the flowers from Ino._

_"I know it's supposed to be red, but this one matched the color of your hair so I thought it'd be more fun to use it. Since it's for you. I mean…what I'm trying to say here Choji is that-"_

_"You're in love with me?" Choji interrupted. Ino blushed deeply and forced herself to look him directly in the eye._

_"Yes. Choji Akamichi, I love you. And, if you'll let me, I want to take you out for BBQ after this…as a first official date…my treat." It came out a little shaky, but much better than she had imagined it would sound. Choji began to laugh nervously._

_"You can't be serious Ino…you hate me! You're always so mean to me, you call me fat! Come to think of it, you're not very nice to anyone! Ino, you are so self-centered and cruel…how do I know that this isn't some sick joke and you secretly have this being videotaped right now?"_

_Ino was at a loss for words. This is how Choji saw her? His face was twisted in anger, thinking this was the final prank she would ever play on him. He wasn't about to be seen as foolish ever again._

_"You are so fickle when it comes to guys. One week it's the bartender, the next week you're blabbing on about someone else. How can I trust that anything you say in genuine? Do you even have real feelings?"_

_Ino stood frozen to the ground like a pillar driven deep into the earth. The man she had truly fallen in love with was the person who seemed to hate her the most. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Everything had been sucked out of her…confidence, heart, soul, hope, happiness…_

_Without a single sound, she turned and ran. She ran as hard and fast as they could possibly carry her. Tears streaked down her face like rain on a windshield. It's true, she had been cruel and selfish in the past, but she had changed. She had grown into a great kunouchi, a caring friend and a beautiful woman inside and out. Ino Yamanaka wasn't the same little spoiled girl that she used to be. Why couldn't he see that?_

_She ran all the way to her house and slammed the door, locking it behind her. She stood with her back against the wall in her foyer, and slowly slid down until she was a sobbing heap on the floor. She didn't move for hours._

_That was the last time Ino and Choji had spoken. One year ago, and she still couldn't move on._

**_::End Flashback::_**

Ino took another huge gulp of wine and stared at her now half-empty glass. Sakura leaned over and patted her friends arm reassuringly.

"You don't need to decide right this second. Let's call Temari and get you away from this thing," Sakura gestured towards the invitation, "I think you could use a stronger drink."


	2. The Girls Night Out

**The Girls Night Out**

Temari burst through Ino's bedroom door with shopping bags and a pair of heels in hand. The woman could never resist a girl's night out on the town. It was one luxury that her husband Shikamaru just wouldn't indulge in with her. It was an activity that the girls usually scheduled at the end of every month to blow off steam and have a drunkenly good time together.

Sakura and Ino had already pulled all of Ino's clothes out of the closet and had them laid out on the bed. Shoes were scattered over every inch of the floor. Sakura had sat Ino down at the vanity, helping her comb the beautifully long blonde tresses. Temari dropped the bags and heels down on the bed and ripped off her long black coat.

"Alright ladies, fill me in as we work!" She announced loudly, her hands already busy rifling through a makeup case.

* * *

An hour had passed since Temari's arrival. Ino had rehashed the past in painful detail, Sakura dutifully refilling her wineglass whenever her friend became teary eyed. Temari gave her friend a comforting smile.

"You've had a lot thrown at you today. Like Sakura said, you don't need to decide anything just yet. In fact, we should make this subject the furthest thing from your mind tonight. We got you looking all kinds of sexual, you've got 2 fierce friends to hold your hair back if you hurl, I say we dance!" All three women laughed at the sand ninja's choice of words and hugged.

Ino checked herself in the mirror before she grabbed her house keys. Her friends had left her hair down with simple side bangs to frame her face. They left her face makeup very simple as well, accenting her lashes with black mascara and a tiny line of purple eyeliner on her top lid. They gave her a neutral lip to keep the look balanced. They had painted Ino's fingernails and toenails jet black. Temari had given her a deep purple halter-top dress with black lace panels on each side, creating an even more "hourglass" appearance. It was a little more form-fitting than Ino was used to these days, but for an occasion such as this, it was better to not fight her best friends. Sakura selected a pair of strappy black wedge sandals from the depths of Ino's closet and slipped them on her friend's freshly painted feet. She hadn't felt this pretty in, well…over a year.

"Ino-pig, let's get a move on!" Sakura bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.

Sakura wore a strapless white tube top with a sweet-heart neckline, a high-waisted black mini skirt, and white peep-toe heels. Temari had chosen a cobalt blue dress with wide shoulder straps, no back, and an extremely low cut front. She stood tall in 6" stiletto heels which laced all the way up to her knees. Shikamaru loved it when she dressed up like that.

Ino raced down the stairs and out the door to pile into the cab with her friends. Tonight she wouldn't think about Choji or his demon bride. Tonight was about forgetting…at least as much as she could forget.

Club Vapor was packed solid when the three friends arrived. They made their way to the bar and threw down some celebratory shots to kick start the evening. The music blared and the beat shook through their bodies like a shockwave. They could barely hear the DJ yelling into the microphone over the roar of the crowd and the pulsing of the music. There were random fits of cheering and excited girly screams, but that seemed pretty normal for a crowd of people dancing while drinking.

Temari lead the charge to the dance floor, dragging Ino by her wrists with Sakura pushing her from behind. The bootylicious music always brought out the minx in Temari. She and Sakura spun and twirled and bumped and ground on Ino, who was finally starting to loosen up. Alcohol may have had a lot to do with that. As long as she was dancing and trying to have a good time, her two best friends didn't care what the cause was.

The night blurred, every drink going down easier than the last. Sweat made their faces glisten in the strobe lights and their hair stick to the back of their necks. Their thighs and backs burned from dancing in heels, but that wouldn't stop them. Bodies writhed against bodies, everyone living for the moment in a passionate mix of dance and intoxication.

Ino turned in an attempt to locate a free spot at the bar where she could order another drink, and that's when she saw them. Through the crowd, she was able to see Choji and his bride from hell.

They were there. Dancing. Choji had lost a decent amount of weight, but his shoulders were still strong and wide and his eyes weren't as squinty since his cheeks had slimmed down. He was grinding on his fiancé from behind and attempting to kiss her neck. Every time she felt his breath on her skin she slid out of his reach. She looked like a snake trying to escape its handler, the way she squirmed and wiggled away from his affections. Ino was once again paralyzed. It took Sakura and Temari a few moments to see what was going on. They grabbed her arms and attempted to pull her backwards towards the bar, but she wouldn't budge. But she wasn't trying to move towards Choji either. She just stood there and watched.

Ino could feel her heart breaking inside of her chest. That day at the cemetery flashed through her memory once again. The words he had spoken a year ago were still slicing her deep, but her love for him never died. And that's what was killing her. He had chosen that manipulative free loader over a woman whom he had known for years…who had been through hell and back with him…who had healed his wounds and shared laughs with him at his favorite BBQ restaurant. The woman who had offered him her heart genuinely, he had shunned her for being heartless and devoid of any real emotion.

Ino tore herself away from her friends grasp and made a mad-dash for the bar.

"Honey Jack…and make it a double please."

"You got it!" the perky bartender chirped. Sakura and Temari had finally caught up with her. Ino wasn't listening to what they were saying. Advise wasn't going to help her right now. The bartender set down a tumbler glass filled with the amber liquid.

"Tell me you did NOT order whiskey, Ino…" Temari's voice was icy.

"Goddamnitt Ino, you know what happens when you drink that shit!" Sakura's large forehead was furrowed with anger.

"You wanted me to forget him, right? Well I can't do that when he's standing right over there with **her**," Ino choked out, "You both know I need this right now. Please…don't fight with me about this right now."

Temari and Sakura looked at each other and reluctantly nodded in agreement. Ino threw down the double and slammed the empty glass on the bar. She could feel the whiskey burning down her esophagus like a white-hot flame.

"Another double please…" she breathed. The bartender retrieved the glass and poured her another one. Ino tossed it back effortlessly. She shook the empty glass in the air gently in front of her, signaling for round three.

"Dang girl. This one is on me babe…" the bartender was impressed with Ino's stamina. She poured Ino a double, then one for herself. They chinked their glasses together and slugged them down.

"I need a minute." Ino whispered, turning to walk unsteadily to the door. Temari had whipped out her cell and was already dialing.

"Shika will know what to do here."

The cool night air slapped Ino in the face like a cat fight. Her drunk and sweaty skin relished the drop in temperature. She leaned up against the brick building and closed her eyes, filling her lungs with the perfume of the night.

"Care for a smoke?" a lazy voice drawled next to her. Ino opened her eyes to find her old teammate handing her a cigarette, that same goofy half smile plastered on his face.

"Yeah, thanks Shikamaru. Got a light?"

The first drag brought back all the memories of Asuma. After his death, Ino was the first one to catch Shikamaru smoking his cigarettes. Choji found out some time later, but he did nothing to stop them. He actually liked it when they smoked around him, it made him feel like Asuma sensei was right there with them. Ino stopped smoking regularly years ago. But when times were rough, she'd indulge as a comfort.

"So I take it he's in there, and that's why you are out here. Am I right?" Her former teammate was now leaning against the building beside her.

"Let me guess, Temari called you." Ino figured as much. Shikamaru just chuckled.

"Yeah, she told me what happened. Listen Ino, you know I really suck at this…I just want to make sure you're not going to kill yourself or something else stupid." Ino smiled.

"No need to worry about that, Nara. I just can't get him out of my system. For as long as he's known me, I really thought he'd see how much I've changed. I thought he knew me better than that…" Ino trailed off. She took another deep drag from her cigarette. Shikamaru looked at her deeply with thoughtful eyes.

"He shouldn't have said all those horrible things to you, but think about it Ino. You had been poking fun at him for years, and he always took it because he was crazy in love with you. But then he isn't around you all the time, and you just confess your love for him out of the blue. He never thought in a million years you would do such a thing, so he figured you were probably trying to make fun of him. He lost it. I'm sorry it went down the way that it did—"

"Wait," Ino barked, "did you just say…that he was in love with me at one point?!" Her cigarette hand shook violently as she brought it up to her lips.

"Oh shit…" Shikamaru glowered through gritted teeth. This is was something she wasn't supposed to hear, not from him.


	3. The Truth

**The Truth**

_~Recap~_

_"He shouldn't have said all those horrible things to you, but think about it Ino. You had been poking fun at him for years, and he always took it because he was crazy in love with you. But then he isn't around you all the time, and you just confess your love for him out of the blue. He never thought in a million years you would do such a thing, so he figured you were probably trying to make fun of him. He lost it. I'm sorry it went down the way that it did—"_

_"Wait," Ino barked, "did you just say…that he was in love with me at one point?!" Her cigarette hand shook violently as she brought it up to her lips._

_"Oh shit…" Shikamaru glowered through gritted teeth. This is was something she wasn't supposed to hear, not from him._

* * *

Ino finished her cigarette in silence. She couldn't hear Shikamaru warning her to never let Temari know that this particular part of the conversation was ever mentioned. She couldn't hear him begging her to not make a scene. Both her brain and her heart were reeling in the chaos of this newly acquired knowledge. She flicked her cigarette butt into the alley and flew to the door. Shikamaru had no time to react, and she was inside and lost on the dance floor before he could finish his last drag.

She saw Choji's bride cozied up to the male bartender at the counter as she walked by. She elbowed her way through the crowd over to where she had last seen Choji. Sakura and Temari hadn't seen Ino, but they saw Shikamaru run through the door. And that could only mean trouble. When the three of them caught up with her, it was already too late.

Ino was standing only a few paces in front of the Akamichi heir. Choji had a drink in his hand and was leaning up against the back of a booth style seat, looking bewildered. The people involved remained speechless as the music raged on and the crowd continued to dance. No one knew what was happening, or what was going to happen.

"Ino…?" Choji ventured first. He hadn't laid eyes on her since that day at the cemetery. He always loved it when she left her hair down, and he thought the less makeup she wore the better she looked. She was still beautiful to him. He could smell the whiskey and cigarettes on her breath, so he knew something pretty bad was about to happen. Temari, Sakura and Shikamaru braced themselves and prepared for a typical Ino fit of rage.

"Why didn't you say anything Choji?" Ino's voice was quiet. When she finally lifted her gaze from the floor and looked him in the eyes, he saw her tears began to brim.

"All those years of putting up with my jokes, and you never once complained. If you had told me it bothered you, I would have stopped because…I loved you too." No one breathed a word, not even Choji.

"You're right…I was cruel, and selfish, and I always made fun of you. Instead of apologizing, I made you think that I was playing you for a fool. I'm sorry that I hurt. I'm really, really, really sorry."

Ino's voice never once rose up to her squeaky "fury pitch." She remained calm and quiet the entire time. And when she finished, she slowly turned around and made her way to the exit. Every muscle in her body and every stare from her friends pierced her like a thousand senbon needles, but she just kept moving through the crowd. She had said what she needed to say, and nothing more could be done. Tears of pain and sadness fell freely down her face. Everyone watched her walk away in stunned silence. Choji watched the door close behind her as she stepped out into the night.

"You should probably expect her R.S.V.P. to be checked 'will not be attending.'" Sakura said gently. The three friends turned to leave as well.

Choji's heart sank in his large chest. He knew Sakura was right, but still…he couldn't imagine his wedding without her there somehow. He turned back to his drink, letting the sad reality drown away in the alcohol.

* * *

Please don't hate for the shorty chapter. It just didn't seem to fit with _The Girls Night Out. _

Anyhoo, enjoy! ^_^


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